EP 938 Why Have Soldiers, Lawyers and Bankers Replaced Diplomats in U.S. Foreign Policy?

Throughout history diplomats have played keys roles in settling disputes among nations by winning alliances, splintering enemy coalitions, and making peace with their bitterest foes.  And, yet, in the post- Cold War period America has relied more upon the strength of its military, international covenants and economic muscle, as the world’s reserve currency, to impose its vast might on allies and adversaries alike.  Our guest, A. Wess Mitchell, a Principal and Co-Founder of the Marathon Initiative and the author of the new book, “Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger,” thinks this approach will not work going forward because America does not have the capacity to vanquish all the threats on the battlefield, particularly with the fragility of our own domestic politics and heavy debt load.  He makes a compelling argument as we circle the globe with him looking at America’s position in the world today.

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